Pakistan

Reports of Pakistani airstrikes in Afghanistan ‘utterly baseless’: FO

Published

1 year ago

Farwa

Pakistan denies conducting any airstrike in Afghanistan.
Authorities of both nations reject Afghan reports as spoofs.
Afghan journalists allegedly spread ‘fake news’ on WhatsApp groups.

Foreign Office Friday categorically denied reports that Pakistani warplanes struck the dens of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants in Afghanistan, labelling them as “utterly baseless and malicious”.

The FO statement comes after some Afghan journalists Thursday continuously shared fake news that Pakistani fighter jets have pounded suspected hideouts of the outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants in Kunar and Nangarhar provinces.

However, the security authorities of the two countries denied their claim.

The journalists even shared an old photo of smoke pouring out of a mountain, claiming that it was the place that was targeted by the Pakistani jets, according to The News.

The fake news was also widely shared in the WhatsApp groups of Afghan journalists, claiming that several Pakistani militants were killed in the airstrikes.

Interestingly, the Pakistani security officials as well as the TTP militants in Afghanistan denied reports of airstrikes.

According to sources cited by a newspaper based in Afghanistan, Hasht-e-Subh Daily, Pakistan “bombed targets in Salala neighbourhood near Gushta district” on Thursday morning.

Reacting to the reports in Afghan media, Baloch said the reports are “utterly baseless and malicious”.

The development is significant as Pakistan has witnessed a sharp rise in terror incidents, especially in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, during the past couple of months after the proscribed TTP declared to end the ceasefire with Pakistan on November 28 last year.

The banned outfit is responsible for over 100 attacks last year. Most of these attacks took place after August when their peace talks with the government proved fruitless.

Following the unusual resurgence of terror activities in the country, the top security forum — the National Security Committee (NSC) — decided that no country will be allowed to provide sanctuaries and facilitation to terrorists and Pakistan reserves all rights to safeguard its people.

In this 40th meeting of the NSC held in Islamabad, the forum vowed to respond firmly to the resurgent terrorism and declared militants as “enemies of Pakistan.”

Pakistan welcomes killing of Daesh militants

Meanwhile, at the weekly media briefing, the spokeswoman appeared lukewarm to news coming from Kabul that the Daesh militants involved in the attack on Pakistan’s Embassy in Kabul had been killed and this had not changed Pakistan’s position regarding its Chargé d’affaires.

“We have seen the reports and are trying to verify them. We will share our position once we have verified this information. Pakistan’s Charge’ d’ Affaires is here for consultations and he will go back when these consultations are complete.”

She reaffirmed that Pakistan was both determined and capable of countering any threats to its peace and security and would continue to be engaged with Afghanistan to discuss all matters of mutual concern, including safety and security along the border.

Business

Price of LPG “slashed” by Rs. 20 per kilogram

Published

4 hours ago

Farwa

Sources claim that LPG rates have been lowered by Rs 20, making the cost per kilogram drop from Rs 280 to Rs 260.

It is noteworthy to remark that the costs of LPG were reduced by Rs 20 per kilogram earlier, resulting in a total reduction of Rs 40 per kilogram within a few weeks.

The price of liquefied petroleum gas for the month of May 2024 was lowered by the Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority (OGRA) on April 30.

The LPG tariffs were lowered by Rs 11.88 to Rs 238.46 per kilogram in accordance with the OGRA’s notice. On Wednesday, May 1, 2024, the new rates will go into effect.

In April of last year, the price per kilogram of LPG was Rs 250.34. pricing reduction of Rs 140.18 has resulted in a new pricing for home LPG cylinders set for May 2024 of Rs 2813.85.

The OGRA reported a drop in liquefied petroleum gas pricing in April. The price of LPG is now Rs 250.34 per kg instead of Rs 256.78 due to a reduction of Rs 6.44 per kg.

The price of the household cylinder was fixed at Rs 2954.03 for the month of April, down from Rs 3030.12, a decrease of Rs 76.9.

Business

ADB delegation stops by FBR headquarters

Published

4 hours ago

Farwa

Senior Director ADB Tariq Niazi oversaw the expedition, which also involved Sana Masood, Farzana Noshab, and Senior Public Sector Management Specialist Laisiasa Tora. The meeting included presentations from economists as well, according to an FBR press release.

The officers focused on structural and policy adjustments as they discussed the Domestic Resource Mobilization Program’s implementation at the meeting.

$300 million was given to the Pakistani government by ADB in December 2023 as a result of the hard work and dedication of FBR. Better laws, regulations, and institutional capability for the FBR were established by Sub-Program I.

With the $300 million in funding provided by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to the Government of Pakistan in December 2023, the delegation conveyed satisfaction with the program’s effective launch.

The FBR also underlined how crucial digitization is to recording the economy and boosting productivity in a sustainable way.

In order to promote the Government of Pakistan’s Digital Tax Administration Project, both parties decided to look into measures to improve their cooperation.

Latest News

Off-duty police in Islamabad are prohibited from donning uniforms.

Published

4 hours ago

Farwa

The new directives, according to specifics, were sent via wireless by the federal capital police and state that no officer may wear a uniform when reporting for duty or leaving it.

According to the police official, uniforms will only be worn when on duty; otherwise, two policemen will accompany each other during duty hours and will always be required to carry guns.

A different development was the earlier release of an app by the Islamabad Police with the goal of improving crime prevention and public safety.

Launched on the orders of former Interior Minister Sarfraz Akbar Bugti, the recently released ICT-15 app aims to empower the people of the capital city by giving them the ability to actively engage in the battle against crime and protect their areas.

Residents of Islamabad can now easily download and utilize the ICT-15 app because it is easily accessible on the Google Play Store.

Citizens can report a variety of issues with this easy-to-use application, such as incidents, unlawful behavior, complaints against law enforcement, the presence of undocumented people, or any suspicious criminal activity.

The police promise quick reaction times as soon as information is reported using the app, so assistance will be provided as quickly as feasible.